Balloon observed over southwest US likely a ‘hobby’ and has left US airspace, NORAD says

Oren Liebermann and Haley Britzky, CNN
·2 min read
28

A balloon the US was tracking across the country has now left US airspace and was likely a “hobby balloon,” NORAD said in a statement Saturday.

NORAD had initially intercepted the balloon with fighter jets but ultimately continued to track it through ground-based radar systems.

“After yesterday’s fighter intercepts, and in coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration, the North American Aerospace Defense Command monitored the likely hobby balloon via ground radars until it left U.S. airspace overnight. We have no additional information on the balloon,” a NORAD spokesperson said in a statement.

The US had said Friday it was tracking a “small balloon” observed over the southwest and drifting east, but it was not believed to pose a threat, according to a statement from North American Aerospace Defense Command.

The balloon is approximately 50 feet tall and is carrying a small 2-foot cube, according to a US official. It is far smaller than a Chinese spy balloon shot down last year.

Fighter jets from NORAD observed the balloon on Friday morning as it was drifting over Utah. The fighters did not shoot the balloon down, but tracked its movement as it floated above the US.

The origin of the balloon is unclear, but the official stressed it does not pose a threat to national security.

This balloon is significantly smaller than the Chinese spy balloon that traversed the United States early in 2023. That balloon, which was ultimately shot down off the coast of South Carolina, was 200 feet tall and carried a payload weighing more than a ton. The balloon carried solar panels, batteries, electronics and sensitive surveillance and communications equipment.

The Chinese spy balloon also used US internet service providers to send short, periodic transmissions about its location and navigation back to China. The balloon also flew at a far higher altitude of 60,000 feet, though it was still large enough to be visible from the ground. It was so large, administration officials decided not to shoot it down over the continental US, where it could pose a risk to people and structures underneath.

This story has been updated with additional information.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com